When is a Delayed Diabetes Diagnosis Negligent?

Did You Know Delayed Diabetes Diagnosis can be Negligent?

Diabetes is a serious condition occurring when blood glucose levels are too high with delays in diabetes diagnosis leading to potentially serious health implications to the patient.

This illness affects a large proportion of people across the UK and the world.

We need a hormone called insulin, which is made by our pancreas and allows the glucose in the blood to enter the cells and fuel the bodies.

Over a long period of time, high glucose levels in the blood can seriously damage the heart, eyes, feet and kidneys which are all compliacations of diabetes.

The two main diabetes types are Type 1 and Type 2, with around 90% of all adults with diabetes in the UK having type 2.

During pregnancy, some women have such high levels of blood glucose that their body is unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all.

This is known as gestational diabetes.

The symtoms of delayed diabetes diagnosis include:

Going to the toilet frequently
Being really thirsty
Cuts or wounds that heal slowly
Feeling more tired than usual
Losing weight without trying
Blurred vision

The importance of a timely diagnosis

Diabetes symptoms can be easy to miss, especially in the early stages.

Timely diagnosis means their condition can be managed sooner and more effectively, avoiding diabetes-related complications such as sight loss, amputation, kidney failure, stroke and heart disease.

A delayed or misdiagnosis of your diabetic condition can be extremely dangerous and in some cases, fatal.

Legal support for medical negligence

The Clime Associates team have helped many individuals and families who have experienced first-hand consequences of misdiagnosis, late diagnosis or poor management of diabetes.

If you have experienced a similar situation which has led to ongoing harm to your health, you could make a successful clinical negligence claim.